Atlanta has been a national poster child for sprawl, the too-big-for-its-britches Sunbelt region trapped in traffic. Now it's reached a new low-water mark, so to speak.

In the May edition of Popular Mechanics, Atlanta's water system makes the list of the "10 pieces of U.S. infrastructure we must fix now."

(ENLARGE)

In the May edition of Popular Mechanics, Atlanta's water system makes the list of the '10 pieces of U.S. infrastructure we must fix now.'

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According to the magazine's Web site, "When Georgians faced drought last fall, residents of Atlanta pitched in to reduce their consumption, yet as much of 18 percent of the city's water was hemorrhaging through leaking pipes."

It's not that bad: The percentage is based on metro Atlanta's water planning district data from 2003. It includes unbilled accounts, such as Grady Memorial Hospital, as well as water used to flush out pipes and test fire hydrants. And the city now estimates its "unaccounted for" water at 14 percent, which is about average for the water business. Ten percent is the gold standard.

Still, the point is made. A water main that broke last month near Piedmont Hospital and created havoc in Buckhead was 91 years old. The city also recently replaced a water pipe that had been installed under a downtown street in 1897, said Janet Ward, spokeswoman for the city's Department of Watershed Management.

The fix is well under way, thanks to Atlanta mayor Shirley Franklin. She's leading a $3.9 billion overhaul of the aging water and sewer system, with money raised from a recently renewed penny sales tax and increased water and sewer rates. About $1 billion of that is being spent on the drinking water system.

Popular Mechanic's list includes the Brooklyn Bridge, where the approaches are marred by rusting steel and deteriorating road decks, and Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, where air traffic controllers say a new radar system has a tough time spotting planes in snow and rain.